The Gladiators: History's Most Deadly Sport

Superfit, muscled, and macho, the gladiators of ancient Rome were hero-worshipped for their skills and courage as they fought to the death, yet despised for their humble status. For over six centuries, tens of thousands died in the arenas, watched by enthralled crowds screaming for violence. Fik Meijer has ingeniously pieced together their true stories from contemporary evidence, describing the gladiators' origins, daily life, training, and the odds of their survival pitted against the emperors' lust for blood and spectacle. His extensive research and vivid descriptions bring to life the men at the center of Rome's most popular - and most deadly - sport.